Sit back, red leader, your helmet does the thinking

RAF pilots are closing in on the futuristic world of Clint Eastwood’s Firefox with new headgear that gives them all the data they need to make a kill

F
rom the cockpit of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a featureless seascape
stretches to the horizon, broken only by the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft
carrier steaming dead ahead. Just above my knees are several iPad-like
touchscreens, each one displaying flight data, weapon selections and a blur
of other information.

That barrage of data extends to the canopy, too. Flickering symbols are
projected over the vessel in the water and other planes in the air. The
aircraft is even talking to me: a well-spoken lady interrupts my
concentration with advice such as “pull up” and, more worryingly, “wing tank
empty”.

Sensibly, as I’ve never flown a plane before, the RAF has not entrusted me
with control of one of the precious few F-35s yet built (each costing at
least £42m — before extras). Instead I’m sitting in BAE Systems’ new
simulator, a full-scale, multi-million-pound replica of the F-35 cockpit
that will be used